By DINA ARÉVALO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
More than 50 Atlantic green sea turtles were released into the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday in the wake of yet another cold front.
Tuesday’s release, which took place at Isla Blanca Park and was open to the public, marked the third such release in recent weeks after several bouts of cold weather have caused the marine reptiles to endure what officials call “cold stunning.”
“I think this is unprecedented that we’ve had three major cold fronts with temperatures in the 30s and the water dropping into the high 40s. This is the first time I recall this in the 26 years I’ve been here,” said Jeff George, the director of Sea Turtle Inc. (STI).
During the last cold front, over 300 turtles were rescued by Sea Turtle Inc. staff and volunteers, as well as officials from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
But it wasn’t just the Rio Grande Valley that felt the effects. Further up the coast, thousands of turtles succumbed to the frigid temperatures and became cold stunned.
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